# Use of SSN for identification **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 1999, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317 "1999-12-11T17:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LongHrn99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e4f/32.png) [@LongHrn99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongHrn99)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/1 "1999-12-11T17:57:00Z")
My parents are always talking about how Social Security cards used to say that they were not to be used for identification. I checked mine, and it was nowhere to be found. Was this a federal law that was repealed? Because I know of many government agencies (not to mention my university) that require my Social Security card for ID, and it wouldn’t make sense for the card to be used in an illegal manner. * * * “I hear the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.” -T.S. Eliot ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/2 "1999-12-11T20:08:00Z")
Cecil covered this somewhere but I’m too lazy to spend half an hour looking for the thread. Short answer is that the **card itself** is not legal proof that you are who you say you are (like driver’s licenses are presumed to be). But your Social Security _number_ is required for any number of identification purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/3 "1999-12-11T20:50:00Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_154.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_154.html) [Why does my old social security card say it can’t be used as ID?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_154.html) * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/4 "1999-12-11T22:42:00Z")
This quote is on the long side but all three parts are interesting: Top Brass Hit by Scam Web Postings Lead to Fake Credit Cards \<[http://a1328.g.akamaitech.net/7/1328/622/d60352c70a2ba1/abcnews.go.com/imag](http://a1328.g.akamaitech.net/7/1328/622/d60352c70a2ba1/abcnews.go.com/imag) es/spacer.gif\> By Barbara Starr [ABCNEWS.com](http://ABCNEWS.com) W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 8 - The Secret Service and military authorities have opened an investigation into a scam in which dozens of high-ranking military officers have had their Social Security numbers taken off an Internet site and used to illegally obtain credit cards in their names. Some 40 senior Marine Corps generals and Navy admirals alone have been hit by the scam, according to Brig. Gen. Joseph Composto, the Marines’ top lawyer. The criminal activity appears to be a result of growing use of the Internet. The names and Social Security numbers of 4,800 military officers were posted on the Web site of a Pennsylvania-based privacy advocate seeking to make a point. The information was taken from a 1997 Congressional Record report, which published the details as part of the record of Senate votes approving military promotions. Since then, the Congressional Record has stopped publishing the Social Security numbers on promotion lists. Free Speech Issues Raised The bank credit cards, issued by First USA Bank of Wilmington, Del., were used to make purchases and obtain cash advances. Most of the accounts were immediately closed when the fraud was discovered. The bank is now cooperating with federal investigators and has waived the $50 limit on fraudulent charges for the military officers victimized by the crime. A memo written by Composto indicates that despite a direct request from the Secret Service, “the individual responsible for posting the names and SSNs refuses to remove the information from the Web page.” Composto also said the U.S. attorney’s office has refused to initiate legal action against the Web site on First Amendment grounds because the information was in the public domain in the Congressional Record. Could ID Number Be a Threat? Composto has also raised a related issue. In a detailed proposal made to the Defense Department general counsel, Composto is recommending that the military change the service number of all individuals from their Social Security number to an unrelated number - in large part to due to Internet privacy concerns. Several years ago, the military switched to using Social Security numbers rather than unrelated identification numbers. “The information age presents opportunities for savvy computer-literate enemies, and other opponents of the United States, to use SSNs as a method of attack,” said Composto. Under the Geneva Convention - a 1949 international agreement governing treatment of prisoners of war - POWs are required to give their military identification number. If, in the case of American POWs, that is their Social Security number, then interrogators could use that information on the Internet to find out personal financial and medical information, including the possible location of their families. \<[http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/aquadot.gif](http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/aquadot.gif)\> * * * Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&\* codes 'til I get 'em right. ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/5 "1999-12-11T22:47:00Z")
Hard to read, wasn’t it? Top Brass Hit by Scam Web Postings Lead to Fake Credit Cards \<[http://a1328.g.akamaitech.net/7/1328/622/d60352c70a2ba1/abcnews.go.com/imag](http://a1328.g.akamaitech.net/7/1328/622/d60352c70a2ba1/abcnews.go.com/imag) es/spacer.gif\> By Barbara Starr [ABCNEWS.com](http://ABCNEWS.com) W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 8 - The Secret Service and military authorities have opened an investigation into a scam in which dozens of high-ranking military officers have had their Social Security numbers taken off an Internet site and used to illegally obtain credit cards in their names. Some 40 senior Marine Corps generals and Navy admirals alone have been hit by the scam, according to Brig. Gen. Joseph Composto, the Marines’ top lawyer. The criminal activity appears to be a result of growing use of the Internet. The names and Social Security numbers of 4,800 military officers were posted on the Web site of a Pennsylvania-based privacy advocate seeking to make a point. The information was taken from a 1997 ongressional Record report, which published the details as part of the record of Senate votes approving military promotions. Since then, the Congressional Record has stopped publishing the Social Security numbers on promotion lists. Free Speech Issues Raised The bank credit cards, issued by First USA Bank of Wilmington, Del., were used to make purchases and obtain cash advances. Most of the accounts were immediately closed when the fraud was discovered. The bank is now cooperating with federal investigators and has waived the $50 limit on fraudulent charges for the military officers victimized by the crime. A memo written by Composto indicates that despite a direct request from the Secret Service, “the individual responsible for posting the names and SSNs refuses to remove the information from the Web page.” Composto also said the U.S. attorney’s office has refused to initiate legal action against the Web site on First Amendment grounds because the information was in the public domain in the Congressional Record. Could ID Number Be a Threat? Composto has also raised a related issue. In a detailed proposal made to the Defense Department general counsel, Composto is recommending that the military change the service number of all individuals from their Social Security number to an unrelated number - in large part to due to Internet privacy concerns. Several years ago, the military switched to using Social Security numbers rather than unrelated identification numbers. “The information age presents opportunities for savvy computer-literate enemies, and other opponents of the United States, to use SSNs as a method of attack,” said Composto. Under the Geneva Convention - a 1949 international agreement governing treatment of prisoners of war - POWs are required to give their military identification number. If, in the case of American POWs, that is their Social Security number, then iterrogators could use that information on the Internet to find out personal financial and medical information, including the possible location of their families. \<[http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/aquadot.gif](http://www.abcnews.go.com/images/aquadot.gif)\> * * * Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&\* codes 'til I get 'em right. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 1999, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/6 "1999-12-11T23:07:00Z")
If you are clever, you can find a SS# for someone with your name on the net… In other words, there are a lot of people with the same name, so that number isn’t much proof of identity. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/7 "1999-12-13T20:20:00Z")
Plus here’s a site that you can look up the SSN’s of the deceased: [Social Security Death Index](http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/ssdi/ssdi_index.asp) ---
**Author:** ![LongHrn99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e4f/32.png) [@LongHrn99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongHrn99)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/8 "1999-12-13T22:20:00Z")
Thanks, you guys, I figured that something didn’t sound quite right about that, and I thought that Cecil had covered it, but I was too lazy to look it up as well. * * * “I hear the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.” -T.S. Eliot ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/9 "1999-12-13T22:35:00Z")
So this isn’t about attack subs. Whaddya know. * * * “There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.” ~P.J. O’Rourke~ ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/10 "1999-12-13T22:53:00Z")
No, but if you want one… ---
**Author:** ![Diamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@Diamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamond)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/11 "1999-12-14T00:27:00Z")
There hasn’t been any real privacy for decades, and anyone who thinks there has is living a pipedream! If you’ve made any kind of transaction at all, from buying a pack of gum to filing your taxes (especially the latter) you’ve left a trail. ---
**Author:** ![LongHrn99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e4f/32.png) [@LongHrn99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongHrn99)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-ssn-for-identification/5317/12 "1999-12-14T15:02:00Z")
Lousy gum…